Always
by kmsutton92
Summary: Harry always has to leave. His job as an auror requires him to chase dark wizardss all over. He's been doing this for a long time, but how long can things go so well when he has to leave so often?
1. Natalie

**Always**

"_Dark wizards don't just exist here Gin. They're everywhere."_

She rolled her eyes, a strand of her hair falling into her face.

"_Maybe so, but whoever said you have to be the one to go after them? Haven't you done enough for the Wizarding world?"_

He sighed softly, running his hands through his hair.

"_Gin… I'll be fine. I always am."_

He was already moving toward the door, and she followed him, casting a frown at the clock.

"_Damn it Potter."_

Her voice was soft. Now that they were out in the open in their house, she had to be quieter. She watched him freeze, stopping and turning to her, studying her face. She made an attempt to resist as he pulled her into a hug, but melted into him after a minute.

"_Promise you'll be careful."_

He nodded, stroking her hair as she pressed her face into his chest.

"_I always am."_

She broke away, looking down the hall. She watched her daughter, a child who had just learned to walk three days ago, toddle into the room unsteadily. She still hadn't gotten the hang of this walking thing, and kept falling down. She couldn't help but smile as the little girl moved toward her parents, curls and red hair that was a shade darker than her mother's shining atop her head.

Natalie looked up at them, a smile crossing her face as she saw them. Her dark green eyes seemed to brighten slightly, so that they were a bit closer to her father's shade. Everything about Natalie was like that of her parents, if not a bit darker in color. She was a pretty one, and Ginny was sure she would be a heartbreaker when she got older. She bent over and picked Natalie up, shifting her to one hip.

"_And what am I supposed to tell Natalie when she's crying because she can't find you?"_

Harry sighed as he looked to his wife and daughter, moving forward and slipping an arm around his wife's waist. He kissed Natalie on the cheek, and then looked to his wife, brushing his hand lightly across the side of her face.

"_You'll tell her the same thing you always tell her. Daddy loves her, and he'll be back soon. After all Gin, two weeks isn't that long."_

Ginny sighed, watching as Harry began walking toward the front door again. His good-bye was cold, but she knew that it was because he wasn't good with good-byes. He never had been. It was fine with her, because she wasn't good with good-byes either. She preferred homecomings.

She set Natalie down, watching as her daughter, who had just learned to walk three days ago, toddled after her father, who was already closing the door. Ginny saw her little girl's face look confused, but then turn to look at Ginny. Ginny wondered what was going on in her head. She knew that Natalie was at an age where her parents seemed to leave all of the time. For Natalie, this was just one of those times.

Mommies and Daddies left. The good thing was that they always came back. The little girl squirmed as her mother picked her up, wanting to be let back down onto the floor. Looking over at her mother, one hand reached out and brushed against the tears on her face. Natalie smiled as her mother laughed.

"_Daddy will be back soon sweet-heart, and he loves you."_

**//Author's Note//**

**Okay, so the other day my dad was sent off to Iraq, and there was this little girl there, who became the inspiration for Natalie. This is no more than a short drabble, and is not meant to have an ending, or a proper beginning. If I come up with something else, I may update it to a new chapter.**

**-Kyla**


	2. Night

Ginny sat up in bed, looking around. Had she just heard something downstairs? She pulled the covers off of her and climbed out of bed. Over the two weeks that he'd been gone the weather had changed and the first snowfall of the year had come to them. She shivered as he bare feet hit the cold floor. They really would have to get carpeting eventually…

She moved through the hall toward Natalie's room, deciding to check on her. Her wand was already in her hand, just in case. She pushed open the door to Natalie's room and smiled as she saw her daughter sleeping peacefully, the sliver of light from the hall washing over the little girl's dark red hair. Backing up, she closed the door quietly.

A muffled scream escaped her as a hand covered her mouth and another wrapped around her waist. As a pair of lips lowered to her neck she relaxed, suddenly recognizing her attacker. The hand moved from her mouth and the grip on her waist loosened. She turned to him and smiled, running her hand over his cheek.

"_I didn't expect you back until tomorrow."_

His face was rough where he hadn't been shaving, too focused on doing his job to think about things like that. There were several small cuts and scrapes, which she healed easily with a wave of her wand. Ginny leaned in and kissed him, not noticing the roughness of his face any longer. After a soft, lingering moment she stepped back completely and looked at him. She could tell that he hadn't been sleeping, and she knew enough to know why he hadn't been.

Ever since the end of the second war his nightmares had returned. He had told her that most of them had to do with her, or Natalie, or Ron, or Hermione being in danger, and that the worst of them were the ones where she or Natalie died. Countless nights Ginny had woken up to find him holding her tightly, his face pressed into her neck and his breathing shaky.

On those nights she would hold him and stroke his hair, more than willing to comfort her husband. She could only imagine how things had been for him without her there to hold him after a nightmare. He'd always told her that just her being there helped him.

"_Oh Harry… You haven't slept at all have you?"_

He shook his head as he looked to her.

"_I couldn't. The nightmares… It's harder without you there to chase the demons away. It's so lonely at night…"_

Ginny pulled him close, holding him as they stood in the hall. It had been hard on her too of course, but she had Natalie. She had a part of Harry to hold when she began to miss her husband too much. She'd had something to help.

"_Come on love, let's go to bed."_

She began tugging him toward their room and he followed her willingly. He was so tired and worn… she could see it in his face, see it in his eyes. There had once been a time that when he returned she would beg him not to leave again, but she knew now that it was a worthless attempt.

Her hand slipped from his and Ginny crawled into bed, watching him as he lowered his tired and weary limbs onto the soft mattress and under the warm covers. Even now the intensity of his gaze as he looked at her caused her breath to catch in her throat. Ginny pulled him close and waved her wand, turning the lights out completely. Her eyes adjusted to the darkness, and she could see him clearly even through the dark. He leaned in and pressed his lips to hers.

"_I'm not leaving anymore."_

Ginny's looked at him questioningly, but was unable to stop the joy and hope from reaching her eyes.

"_You know you can't control where they send you. You can't control whether you leave. Dark wizards are everywhere, remember?"_

A slight smile tugged at his lips.

"_And aurors go after the dark wizards."_

She nodded softly.

"_You'll be gone again soon. I heard that there was an uprising. That they're all crowding around a new leader. You're the best auror that they've got, and they'll call you in."_

But he shook his head, and she looked at him in surprise.

"_I'm not an auror anymore, Gin."_

His voice was soft, and she couldn't detect an emotion in it.

"_What? Why? Did something happen?"_

There were several reasons. He could have been injured, or done something wrong… But when he spoke, his answer surprised her.

"_I quit, Ginny. I've been considering this for awhile now. I'm sick of it all. I'm sick of killing, whether the person deserves it or not. I'm sick of putting myself into danger for weeks at a time… and I'm sick of leaving you behind."_

Ginny looked at him, and was about to speak when he placed a finger to her lips to silence her.

"_After the wedding I promised you that I wouldn't leave anymore. You were so hurt from how long I had been gone and how little you had seen me while I was trying to finish him, and I promised you that I wouldn't leave you again."_

Harry paused and Ginny found herself unable to speak. She had been under the impression that he had forgotten. She had never once held it against him though. He couldn't help his job. It wasn't his fault he kept having to go. His voice jolted her out of her thoughts, and she looked at him.

"_I think that it's about time I attempted to keep that promise Ginny."_

She gaped at him for a moment, and then took a deep breath.

"_Harry I- Where are you going to work?"_

He just grinned at her.

"_I'm not. At least, not for now. Between your paycheck, the money left over from my parents and the money I got as part of my Order of Merlin we'll do fine. We'll do great actually. I want to be here with Natalie. Do you ever get the feeling that she spends more time with your mother than she does with her own parents?"_

Ginny leaned over and kissed him, giggling slightly.

"_Everyday love, but are you sure you want to do this? Are you sure that you'll be happy at home?"_

He had always seemed to enjoy his job, no matter how often he was away from his family.

"_I'm sick of fighting dark wizards Gin. I want to be home with you and Natalie, always."_

Ginny smiled softly.

"_Always?"_

He just nodded, one hand on her waist as he kissed her neck lightly.

"_Always."_

His reply was murmured into her skin, and without another word she lifted his head and pressed her lips soundly to his as they sank into each other, drowning in their love and the realization that he was home, forever and for always.

**//Author's Note//**

**I plan on adding an epilogue to this, so keep checking for it!**


End file.
